Howdy, Dammit!

We just got back from Joseph's New Student Conference at Texas A&M and lemme just say, I'm feeling a tee tiny bit better about him moving away from home, breaking my heart and ruining my life. I'm still not real HAPPY about it, but I no longer have the overwhelming urge to just lay down and die. That's a good thing, right? See, I can change - I can go with the flow, if I just HAVE to, dammit.

I admit, I went to this Student Conference with a bit of a grudge against A&M. After all, it might be a perfectly good college, but it was 3 HOURS away from home! THREE WHOLE HOURS - and that's if you obey the speed limits (which, okay, I wouldn't DO, but STILL, three hours is three hours, ya know?)

Yep, I went to meet my enemy with my game face on.....You think you gonna take MY Baby Away?? No, Sir. Momma be Hatin' Big Time!

Unfortunately, Texas A&M managed to change my mind and my prejudice against them. Oh, it wasn't a fair fight. I should have KNOWN those Aggies would fight dirty. Every single one involved, from the Professors, to the volunteer students, conspired, that's right, I said CONSPIRED, to re-educate me as to just how great a place it would be for Joseph to attend college. Even the students attending summer classes were in on the job. I didn't have a chance.

That's not to say it wasn't without it's little glitches, though. First of all, Aggieland is just stuffed FULL of traditions, and some of those traditions are, shall we say, a little bit, uh, different (I was gonna say the traditions were slap out of an old Hee Haw episode, but I'm pretty sure I'm still on Aggie Mom probation, so I'm trying to watch my step here.)

The official campus greeting is...get ready.... "Howdy". I am NOT making this up. It's Howdy! I'm serious. Someone says Howdy to you and you're supposed to say Howdy back. This was a problem for me, seeing as how my first response was "You're kidding" and my second response was an enormous eye roll. Even after I managed to squelch those initial responses, I never COULD remember to respond with a Howdy. It's just not NATURAL, I'm telling you. At least it's not natural for anybody who's grown up with indoor plumbing. (okay, that was really snotty and pushing my probation, I'd better watch it).

Also, I'm pretty sure Roger and I came dangerously close to being shot by members of the Corps of Cadets for our unfortunate and repeated use of the phrase "Hook 'Em" whenever we had to leave to go someplace else. More than once, Joseph slapped his hands over his ears and dove for cover while instructing me that we do NOT use those hated words EVER here in Aggieland. Yeesh - somebody has some ISSUES, is all I'm sayin'.

Oh, and laughing at the various student "wildcatting" episodes is also considered in very bad taste. (For all you Non-Aggies (normal people) and Tea Sippers (UT students and alums) out there, "wildcatting" is an Aggie expression of approval. Each class has their own particular form of wildcatting and they range the gamut from the kinda strange to the "someone's missed their medication" full body spasms. Texas A&M has got to be the only place you can make psychotic hand and body gestures repeatedly and not get beaten up or caught in a net and hauled off. I'm sure that's a plus.

So, to atone for my previous sins of misjudgement, ugly comments and brilliant jokes and jabs, I spent as much money as I possibly could in the gift shop. We now own Aggie t-shirts, Aggie coffee mugs, Aggie car stickers and Layla and Dudley are, even as we SPEAK, snoring and drooling in their brand new fabulous Aggie dog collars. When I decide to embrace something, I give it my ALL, I'm telling you.

So, now you see us, a brand new Aggie family. Just FULL of that Fightin' Aggie Spirit!! Fightin' Aggie Class of 2012 - "AAAAAAA!!" Yes, Texas A&M you can "borrow" Joseph for a little while...just long enough to educate him. Roger and I have taught him, and gotten him this far, it's your turn now, to give him all the knowledge you have to offer.

BUT, know this A&M, if Joseph comes back home wearing Dickies and chewing on a piece of straw, you and I are gonna have some ISSUES of our own!

Oh, and GIG 'EM and HOWDY, DAMMIT!!